KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Jeremy Guthrie ran his unbeaten streak to a club record 17 consecutive starts with a four-hitter in the Kansas City Royals' 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Guthrie is 9-0 in the 17 starts, which started against the White Sox on Aug. 8, 2012. Left-hander Paul Splittorff held the Royals' record with 16 straight undefeated starts in 1977-78.
It was Guthrie's first shutout and fifth complete-game. Three of his previous complete games were eight-inning losses. His only previous complete-game victory came Aug. 8, 2008, for Baltimore at Seattle.
Paul Konerko singled in the second and doubled in the fourth for the only White Sox hits until the eighth inning.
Tyler Flowers and Alejandro De Aza singled in the eighth, but Jeff Keppinger's grounder to shortstop Alcides Escobar ended the inning.
Guthrie (4-0) threw 11 or fewer pitches in every inning except the fourth and eighth, when he threw 21 apiece.
Guthrie is 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA in six starts with the Royals against the White Sox, allowing two earned runs in 44 2-3 innings.
Dylan Axelrod (0-1) nearly matched Guthrie, but yielded a two-run triple to Lorenzo Cain in the first inning. Cain's triple to the right-field corner scored Billy Butler, who was hit by a pitch, and Eric Hosmer, who singled for the first of his three hits.
Axelrod was pulled after Salvador's Perez's single with two out in the eighth. He gave up eight hits, walked one, hit two batters and struck out none, throwing 70 strikes in 113 pitches.
Hosmer tripled to start the Royals' third inning, but was stranded.
Chris Getz and Escobar singled in the second, but Billy Butler flied out to right to end the Royals' threat.
Axelrod recorded his first 12 outs with fly balls before Butler grounded out to begin the fifth inning.
NOTES: The Royals had 10 non-playing days in their first 33 dates, logging four rains outs, a postponement at Boston from the police situation and five scheduled days off. "You just deal with the off days," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Do you want 'em? No, not really, not like we've had them. It is what it is, you can't change it, you just deal with it." . White Sox RHP Jake Peavy, who was skipped a start Thursday with back spasms, could start Monday. . White Sox LF Dayan Viciedo, who is on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, took some swings Saturday and should be ready to start a minor league rehab soon.